Can Dogs Fall In Love?
Can Dogs Fall in Love?
We wondered, can dogs fall in love? It’s February and there is an ample amount of love ‘in the air’ that got us to thinking. Falling in love is one of the sweetest times in one’s life. And loving my dog is one of the purest forms of love that I can think of. And it got me wondering if my dog, whom I love dearly, was able to also fall in love. Whether you can embrace this thought process or not, this month makes us feel like anything is possible.
We Are Not the First To Ask the Question
We searched the internet in hopes of finding our answer. It turns out that we were not the first humans to wonder if dogs can fall in love. As a matter of fact, throngs of people have provided their observations of their own pets as proof. However, that wasn’t quite going to do it for us.
So, we looked to science. For some, without scientific proof, a statement of this magnitude is merely an opinion.
There’s Science to Prove That Dogs Can Fall in Love
In an article published in 2013 by Stanley Coren, PhD., DSc, FRSC, he tells us that dogs have all of the same brain structures that produce emotions in humans. This was big! He goes on to tell us that dogs have the same hormones and undergo the same chemical changes that humans do during emotional states.
It’s Comforting, Isn’t It?
How many of you are imagining your dog on Tinder? Or feeling awash with emotion imagining your dog being in love. It’s a vision that makes me feel warm on the inside.
What’s more (as if it was needed at this point), dogs also have the hormone oxytocin. This chemical in humans is connected to feeling love and affection for others.
Dogs are Not the Same As Humans
We’ve been accused of occasionally projecting human qualities onto our dogs. So it’s worth mentioning that Dr. Coren’s article also cautions us not to prescribe the same emotional ranges we humans have to our dogs. You can read the full article here. Or you can stop now, and just let this knowledge make you smile with pure joy for a bit.
Can Dogs Fall in Love? Let’s See Some Empirical data?
Based on what we’ve seen in our own pets, and those of our family, friends, and so many people on the internet, we believe that dogs can find love together. Even if just for this month infused with all things ‘love’. Here are some representative samples to support our data. Enjoy.
